


A Face from the Past

by MoonCat163



Category: Loki (Marvel) Fandom, Loki Fandom, Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: A Misplaced Midgardian, Damsel in Distress, Don’t copy to another site, F/M, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-25
Updated: 2020-01-16
Packaged: 2021-02-26 03:33:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,249
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21946636
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MoonCat163/pseuds/MoonCat163
Summary: After a malfunction of the Bifrost, a young Midgardian girl and her horse are transported to Asgard.  After the horse is found wandering near the palace, Loki joins the search for the rider.Once she is returned to Earth, no one believes her story of a golden city and a prince with green eyes.
Relationships: Loki (Marvel)/Original Female Character(s)
Kudos: 30





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoy this. As always, I look forward to any comments. 😊

The group of riders circled near each other, and struggled to control their horses while the fast-moving storm overtook them. The lightning had the horses neighing and rearing with fear; each blast of sound and light threatened to cause them to bolt. 

“Teddy! Where’s Teddy?” One of the men shouted. “I’ve got to find her!”

— — —

“Come on, Orion, let’s find the others.”

Theodora, or Teddy, urged her horse in the direction that the others had taken. The twelve-year-old knew the path well, as did her horse, and guided him back toward the stables. 

The storm had caught them by surprise, as there hadn’t been any prediction in the weather forecast that her brother checked without fail before they went out to ride. Teddy thought that the storm felt kind of weird; it was more lightning than anything, and no rain accompanied it. It was barely afternoon, and the skies were dark enough to make one think that night had fallen. 

Still, she didn’t want to be out in the middle of it, nor did Orion. The Friesian shook his head nervously, making the bit and reins jingle. Teddy kept firm hold of the reins, but let him run. 

When they reached a part of the trail that was in the open, she gave him his head. The horse moved fast, but he wasn’t fast enough to outrun the bolt of light that engulfed them. 

The last thing that Teddy remembered was the blinding light, Orion’s neigh of fear, and her own terrified scream. 

— — — 

Orion hit the ground running when he emerged from the light, and he stumbled enough to throw his rider to the ground. He kept running through the woods while Teddy lay still, stunned and with the breath knocked out of her. 

When finally able to get up, she staggered a few steps before tripping and falling into a ravine where the underbrush hid her. By the time she’d stopped rolling down the embankment, she was unconscious. 

— — —

Reports of a lone horse that wandered about in the forest near the palace reached the ears of the stable master, who sent several grooms out to see if they could find it and bring it in. 

It took several days, but the horse was finally captured and brought back to the stable. There had been no reports of a missing horse, and the saddle that was still on him wasn’t of a familiar style. The animal wasn’t injured but there was concern that the rider might still be in the forest and needed help. 

Before the head groom could gather a group to search for signs of a rider, one of the princes came from the palace to have a look at the large black horse. 

“Any idea where he might have come from?” The prince asked, while running his hands over the horse's neck and shoulder. 

“No,” the groom replied. “He did have a saddle, but it’s not one of ours.”

“Such a magnificent animal would surely be missed,” the prince commented, before turning to look at the saddle. “No bridle?”

“No, Your Majesty, I was about to take a few men to see if we could find any sign of a rider.”

The prince nodded then glanced at the black horse again. 

“Saddle my horse as well.”

The groom nodded before leaving the stall quickly to get the prince’s horse ready. 

“Loki?”

“Thor.” Loki turned his attention from the strange horse to his brother, who had approached the stall and now looked in. 

“What’s this?” Thor asked, curiously. 

“It seems that the malfunction with the Bifrost has left us with a visitor,” Loki replied. “He still had his saddle.”

“And what of the rider?” Thor asked. 

“No sign of one yet, but we were about to go into the forest and look around,” Loki replied. “Do you join us?”

“I would, except I have a task to do for Father,” Thor replied. 

Loki nodded as he exited the stall, then fastened the door securely. The horse followed him, then put his head over the door. Thor gently stroked the soft nose while the animal nuzzled about for a treat. 

“Good luck, brother.”

— — — 

When Loki and the others reached the forest, they fanned out, looking for signs of hoof prints or rider. They had been searching for several hours when Loki came across something that had him dismounting quickly. 

It was the black horse’s missing bridle, and it wasn’t too far from a familiar mark on the ground that had been made by the Bifrost. Loki could see where the hoof prints started, seemingly out of nowhere, before they went further into the woods. 

His keen eye then spotted small footprints in the dirt, which then disappeared. Upon closer examination, Loki realized that the footprints were at the edge of a ravine that was hidden by underbrush. 

He left his horse standing while he navigated his way down the slope. He saw the rider once he’d made his way to the bottom. He knelt before reaching out one hand check for a pulse. It was faint, but still there. 

Then he carefully turned the rider so that he could check for other injuries. He was shocked to discover a very young Midgardian female; she couldn’t be more than ten or twelve years of age. 

Loki brushed her tangled hair away from her face, then laid his hand on her forehead. She was burning with fever and had a wound on her leg that had started bleeding after he’d moved her. Her pants were already bloodstained, so Loki surmised that she’d been bleeding for several days by now. It was a wonder that she was still alive. 

He picked her up, and cradled her while he climbed out of the ravine. 

“Here!” He called out, bringing some of the other men to him. “You, ride ahead to alert the healer. Quickly!”

Loki carried her to his horse and easily mounted without jostling her too much. Once he had her positioned comfortably, he rode back toward the palace with the other riders following. 

The movement caused her to stir with a soft moan and she weakly tried to push away from him. 

“Be still, little one, you’re safe.”

A cool hand touched her cheek, and her eyes opened slightly to peer at him. Loki gave her a reassuring smile while she blinked rapidly, trying to focus on him. A small hand then reached out to touch his face and Loki gently grasped it, squeezing carefully. 

“You’re pretty,” the girl whispered. “Am I dead?”

“No, sweetling,” Loki replied. “You’ll be alright.”

“Whassur...name?” 

“Loki.” 

“Loki,” she repeated, softly. “I’m Theodora, but you can call me Teddy, if you want.”

“I much prefer Theodora,” Loki responded.

“M’kay.”

She went limp then, causing Loki to check again for a pulse before touching her cheek with the backs of his fingers. As much as he hated to, he increased the pace back to the palace; the girl needed help, and quickly. 

— — —

During her fevered state, Teddy could hear the voices around her. They all overlapped until she was able to separate them. She recognized Loki’s voice, then someone called Thor, and Frigga. 

Thor’s voice was deep and strong, but gentle when he spoke to her, even though she couldn’t respond to him. She tried to open her eyes to look at him, but only got the impression of blond hair and blue eyes. 

Frigga was soft spoken, with tender hands that wiped away the sweat from her face. Teddy was able to make out her features and thought she was an angel, a beautiful angel. 

There were other voices, but none stayed around her for long, besides the healer, and they all noticed that she responded best to Loki when he sat with her. 

Finally, her fever broke, leaving her exhausted. She hadn’t been able to eat solid food, just broth, and was hungry. The healer wouldn’t let her get up, but did bring food that wouldn’t make her sick. 

Teddy then slept peacefully, dreaming of a great, golden city, with a beautiful queen and of Loki, with his dark hair and green eyes.

— — —

Five days after Teddy went missing during the freak lightning storm, Orion carried her into the stables where he belonged. The girl was still in the saddle, but was unconscious and slumped forward onto his neck.

It was just after daybreak, and the people at the stables called her family and emergency services. There had been an extensive search for the both of them, with no sign anywhere; it was almost as if they’d dropped off the face of the earth. 

After she’d been taken off her horse, it was obvious from the state of her clothes that she’d been injured, but no wounds were found. Orion was given a thorough examination, but he also was without injury, although he had lost several shoes. 

While in the hospital, Teddy told her parents and brother about Loki, the beautiful queen and about the place she’d visited. They chalked it off to trauma; they were sure that she’d been unconscious and perhaps her tale was just a vivid dream. 

As time went on, the girl learned that no one believed her, so she stopped telling the story and withdrew into herself. She was no longer the open and inquisitive girl, and had stopped even wanting to ride the horses with her brother. 

Her parents took her to several mental health professionals to deal with the change in her, but she wouldn’t open up to them, having realized that most everyone thought she was crazy. 

Finally, when she was old enough, she left home for good. She’d tried running away a few times, but was always brought back. Now she was an adult and could choose for herself where she could go. She left everything behind except for the clothes that would fit in a small suitcase and the money that she’d saved up. 

— — — 

Teddy ended up in New York City after she’d left home, and twelve years later, was still there. She worked odd jobs from waitressing to dog walking, which paid enough to eat on and to rent a tiny one-room apartment that was hot in the summer and cold in the winter. Still, it was better than being homeless, which she had been several times, and she was grateful to have it. 

She had no skills to mention, but was willing to learn, so spent a great deal of time in a library, reading and using the computers to take free online courses. The computers interested her, so her focus was on repairing and programming them. She would scavenge for old computers in order to practice taking them apart and rebuilding them, then would occasionally sell a working unit for extra cash.

One day, when she was leaving the little diner where she worked, she slipped on a patch of ice while carrying a couple of takeout boxes. She slid into a tall man who quickly caught her by the elbow to keep her from falling. 

“I’m sorry, sir!”

“No harm done, are you alright?”

“Yes, sir!” Teddy didn’t look up at him, she only noticed that he was surrounded by men in some type of law enforcement uniforms. 

“Move along, miss,” one of them told her, firmly. 

Teddy quickly picked up the sack with her food, all the while holding her arm up to shield her head as if expecting to be hit. 

“No one’s going to strike you, little one,” the man then told her. 

She glanced up quickly, and all he saw were sea green eyes widening slightly at the sight of him. He was used to it, but there was something else there, just the faintest spark of surprise. He couldn’t see the woman’s face, since a scarf and hat covered everything except her eyes, which she quickly averted. 

Before he could ponder any further, she was gone in the crowd. 

— — —

_Loki._

Teddy sat on her tiny bed, rocking back and forth. She’d been told that he was only a figment of her imagination, conjured up by a head injury when she and her horse Orion had disappeared for five days all those years ago. 

She’d started to believe them, as her memory of his face and voice slowly faded over time. Now, she was certain that it hadn’t been a dream. He looked and sounded the same. 

Loki, the prince that had saved her life when she was just a child, and who lived in a golden palace...what had he called it?

_Asgard_. He was Loki of Asgard. 

— — —

Several weeks passed before Teddy saw Loki again. He only had one guard this time, and she wondered why he didn’t have more, since he was a prince and should be protected. She wasn’t working on this particular day, but had come in for something to eat, something that wouldn’t stretch her meager budget. 

She had finished eating, but stayed in the warm diner, wanting to avoid the cold for as long as she could. 

When Loki passed the window, she jumped up and yanked her ragged coat on, then quickly jammed on her knit cap before wrapping her scarf around her neck. Then she cautiously followed him, wary of the armed man that walked with the tall prince. 

When it became obvious that Avengers Tower was their destination, Teddy hung back even further, just watching. 

— — — 

Loki knew that he was being followed soon after passing the diner where the woman had run into him. He didn’t sense any danger, just curiosity from the person that trailed him. 

The SHIELD agent that escorted him was worse than useless, seeing as he had yet to realize that that they were being tailed. He would have to tell Stark that he needed more training if he was expected to remain as part of his guard unit. 

Loki created a double of himself with his seidr, and changed its appearance so that it wouldn’t be recognized. Then he had it go back the way they’d just come, until it turned to get behind the person that followed him. 

He was surprised to find that the woman who had slid into him was the culprit. She didn’t seem capable of any harm, but Loki had learned to never underestimate anyone. 

Once he and his guard reached the Tower and went in, she stopped to sit on a bench so that she could watch the entrance. His double then sat on a different bench, quietly observing the observer. 

Through his clone, Loki noticed that the woman’s clothes had seen better days, as had her boots. Her winter coat had holes in the elbows and a rip under one arm; he knew that it couldn’t possibly be enough against the bitter cold. In fact, he could see that she still shivered despite having it. 

Although she had a hat and scarf, he realized that she lacked gloves when her bare hands wiped at her face. He thought that she might be crying, but he didn’t want to get closer in case he frightened her. 

She got up a couple times to take a few steps toward the entrance, but changed her mind and sat down again. A short time later, she got up slowly before walking away, after a final glance at Avengers Tower. 

— — —

The next time that Loki saw her, she’d followed him for just a few minutes before stopping in the diner that she appeared to be familiar with. 

By the time she came out with takeout boxes, he had a double ready to follow her. She didn’t go far before turning into an alleyway; she approached a little cardboard hut, then sat down. While she opened the food packages, a man crawled out of the hut to join her. 

Loki noticed that she didn’t eat but a bite or two of the food herself; she’d brought it for the other person. The two talked for awhile, then the woman got up. Loki watched, incredulous, when she took off her coat to give to the man. He wasn’t going to take it but finally gave in. 

When she walked away, Loki followed until she reached her apartment, taking note of the location before ending the illusion. 

While he wasn’t concerned about the fact that she’d been following him, his curiosity was piqued. He hadn’t gotten a good look at her yet, and could not fathom why she was so interested in him. 

— — —

Several weeks later, Teddy had gotten up enough nerve to enter Avengers Tower. Since there was a food court on the first level, traffic into the building wasn’t scrutinized closely unless someone went near the elevators. 

She spent a few dollars for coffee and a doughnut, not really needing to splurge on them, but she did want to see Loki again and didn’t want to appear out of place. 

She’d seen him a handful of times before this, but had forced herself not to follow, as badly as she wanted to. The desire to prove her family and friends wrong, and to prove to herself that she wasn’t crazy, kept her up late. 

Then came the day where he was almost alone: he was only with two other people when they entered the building and headed to the elevator. 

Gathering her courage, she got up quickly to approach them. Once she got within ten feet of them, Teddy called his name. 

“L-Loki?”

The three men turned, and she took a couple more steps toward them. She wasn’t aware that the security guards were coming up behind her; she only had eyes for Loki. 

Teddy’s gaze took in the sight of him: tall, handsome and exactly how she remembered him. She also looked at the blonde man beside him and realized that it had to be Thor. 

“It _is_ you!” With that, Teddy closed the remaining steps and slipped her arms around his waist before anyone could stop her. 

She held onto him while sobbing against his chest. He was at a loss, as was Thor. Tony Stark, the other person with them, looked on, bewildered that someone would willingly approach Loki, much less hug him without an engraved invitation. 

“Leave her be,” Thor told the guards while waving them away. “Stark, call them off.”

His voice caused her to cry harder, and Loki very gently put his arms around her shoulders. She trembled so badly he was concerned that she might fall. 

“I’m not crazy, I’m not crazy,” she kept whispering. “They told me you weren’t real, but I _knew_ better!”

When she became calmer, Loki set her back gently while his eyes searched her face. She realized that neither he nor Thor recognized her, which caused a fresh flow of tears. Teddy swiped her face with her sleeve before pulling her cap off, while her eyes never left his.

Loki studied her face before smiling. “ _Theodora._ The Midgardian girl who rode her magnificent black horse all the way to Asgard. As I recall, you called me ‘pretty.’” 

“Did I?” Teddy responded, stepping back from him to swipe at her face again. “I’m sure I meant it.”

Teddy turned her gaze to Thor, who was smiling gently at her. She hadn’t been lucid enough during her fever to see his face clearly, but she remembered the sound of his voice when he soothed her. 

“I still dream about the golden palace,” she murmured softly. “And of Queen Frigga...and of Loki of Asgard, the prince who saved my life.”

Loki’s hands tightened slightly on her shoulders when he heard that, then she lowered her head so that she could hug him once more. He hadn’t been expecting that at all, and never thought that he’d find out what happened to the Midgardian girl that he and his family had encountered years earlier. 

“And I'm _not_ crazy!”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don’t feel like I ended this neatly when I posted just the first chapter. So, I fleshed it out a bit more. Happy reading, and comments are always appreciated.

When Teddy finally released Loki, he reached out to swipe a tear from her cheek. Tony shifted on his feet while he watched the scene. He’d never thought to see Loki so gentle with a human, and quite frankly he was shocked. 

The movement drew Teddy’s attention to him and she recognized him almost instantly once her full attention wasn’t on Loki. She edged closer to Loki until she was under his arm and tight to his side. 

“That’s Iron Man,” she whispered, so that only Loki could hear her. “And Thor.”

“So it is,” Loki replied. 

“We were just going up for lunch, Theodora,” Tony told her. “Would you care to join us?”

Teddy shook her head while self consciously smoothing her hair, then her coat, which was even more ragged than the one she’d given away. They all could see that she was quite thin, and that her hair needed a good trim. Tony suspected that she was very close to being homeless, all it would take was a bit of bad luck. 

“No, thank you...I just had to see Loki, to prove to myself that he was real...I don’t want to disturb you any longer,” she stammered, taking a few steps back. 

“Theodora.” Loki’s voice stopped her. “Thor and I would like for you to join us. Don’t you think we have some catching up to do?”

“I’m sure you’re busy —“

“Not at all,” Thor replied. “Please, join us.”

Teddy reluctantly allowed them to guide her onto the elevator, where Loki held her hand for the entire trip. She was overwhelmed by the richness of the penthouse, and even more aware of the state of her clothes. 

She looked around cautiously, knowing that there were other Avengers that lived at the top of the Tower, and hoped that none of them showed up for lunch. She wasn’t sure if she could bear much more scrutiny.

Thor took her coat, hat and scarf before hanging them up near the elevator while Loki guided her toward the living area. He had her sit in a comfortable chair while he pulled one up in front of her. They were knee to knee, with Loki holding her hands gently. 

While the cook finished preparing the lunch, Tony glanced at Loki and Teddy periodically. He could tell that she was talking to him, but so softly that he couldn’t overhear. Loki’s fingers massaged hers while he listened, and when she reached up to touch his cheek, Tony was floored. 

“Seems that there is at least _one_ human that your brother likes,” Tony murmured to Thor. 

Thor nodded after glancing at Loki. “She was a child when she inadvertently visited Asgard.”

“Wait, what?”

“Yes, there was a malfunction with the Bifrost, which brought her and her horse to us,” Thor replied. “But I’ll wait until they join us so that she can tell you the story.”

Once the food was on the table, Teddy sat down beside Loki. They could tell that she was uncomfortable and did their best to make her less nervous. Tony had her share the story of how she had ended up on Asgard. She didn’t remember much of what happened while she was feverstricken, so Thor or Loki filled in the gaps. 

“I am grateful to all of you,” Teddy told them. “I owe you a debt.”

“No, that’s not necessary,” Loki replied. “You were there due to something that was caused by Asgard, and we would have helped you, in any case.”

Thor nodded in agreement; he noticed that she ate lightly, and clearly didn’t like being the center of attention. She’d learned not to draw attention to herself after her family and friends discounted her tale of Asgard as just a vivid dream. 

When they finished eating, Teddy declined coffee or dessert. She really wanted to get out of the Tower; while Thor and Loki didn’t let on, she felt that Tony pitied her. While she’d had her share of bad breaks, she disliked being pitied. 

“I should go now,” she finally said, while getting to her feet. “Thank you for lunch, Mr. Stark.”

“Tony,” he corrected her. “If you ever want to visit these two again, stop by anytime.”

She nodded, even though she had no intention of returning. Just seeing and speaking to Loki and Thor lifted a great weight from her. She felt vindicated, and while she would have liked to prove her family wrong, it wasn’t worth the effort. She no longer kept in touch with her parents, and only occasionally contacted her brother. 

“I’ll escort you home,” Loki told her while she retrieved her coat. 

“That’s not necessary,” she responded. “I don’t live that far away.”

Loki ignored that with a slight smile while he pressed the button for the elevator. Once on the ground floor, Teddy bundled up against the cold before stepping out onto the sidewalk. 

When she put her hands into her coat pockets, she felt something that she hadn’t put there. Loki could tell that she was perplexed by the gloves that she found.

“I think I’ve ended up with someone’s gloves by mistake,” she said, holding them out. “I didn’t have any.”

“I’m sure they won’t miss them,” he replied. “Put them on.”

Teddy reluctantly did as he said, then he drew her arm through his before they started toward her apartment. After seeing the Avengers’ living quarters, she was hesitant about letting Loki see her little apartment; his bathroom at the tower was probably larger. 

“This is my building,” she finally said, when they had reached the entrance. “You don’t have to walk me up, I’m just on the second floor.”

“Alright,” he agreed. “Goodnight, and I expect you to visit when you can.”

She nodded before slipping through the door. Loki stood there watching for a few minutes and then headed back toward the Tower. As he walked, he thought back over what Teddy had told him about the aftermath of her visit to Asgard. 

Her own family had practically isolated her because they couldn’t believe her story about what had happened to her. He could see both viewpoints; how was her family to know that Asgard was real? Teddy’s inadvertent trip had happened well before Thor’s first visit to Midgard. 

Still, he felt that they should have made some effort to not make her doubt herself. Loki could tell that she wasn’t very happy, although she obviously felt better after talking to him. 

— — —

Once she’d reached her apartment, Teddy peeked out the window that faced the front of the building in order to watch Loki. The fact that he stood there for several minutes before leaving unnerved her a bit. 

She was concerned that he’d want to come into the apartment anyway, and knew that she wouldn’t stop him if he insisted. The little apartment was neat but tiny since it only had the living space/kitchen and a bathroom. One corner was dedicated as a workspace where she practiced her computer skills. A daybed occupied one wall, while a tv stand on the opposite wall held a small television.

Teddy hung her coat up then studied the gloves she’d found in her pockets. She knew that they weren’t hers, since she’d given away the only pair she had. These gloves were soft, warm and of better quality than her previous pair. 

She put them back into a coat pocket before turning to her workspace in order to spend some time on her latest project. When she finally got to the point where she couldn’t see straight, she went to bed. A glance at her clock informed her that it was well past midnight. 

— — —

Several weeks later, Loki and Thor both grew concerned when Teddy didn’t come for a visit. They both knew that Tony intimidated her, and that she was uncomfortable with the plush trappings of the Tower. 

Together, they decided to try to find her where she was comfortable in her own surroundings. Loki led the way to her apartment building, but the knock on her door went unanswered. Next, they tried the diner where she’d first bumped into Loki.

She wasn’t there, but one of her coworkers told her where else they might find her. So, they kept looking. Loki finally spotted her standing with a couple of mounted police officers. 

He approached her, watching when one of the officers handed her a piece of carrot so that she could give it to his horse. Teddy petted the animal, and scratched behind its ear, underneath the headstall. 

“Theodora.”

Loki’s voice startled her, causing her to jump slightly. She turned to acknowledge him before focusing her attention back on the horse. 

“You know, I haven’t ridden a horse since Orion carried me into the stables when we returned from Asgard,” she murmured softly. 

“Why not?” He asked. 

She shrugged before bidding the officers goodbye. Loki watched her pull on her gloves before he took her hand. He led her back down the block toward the diner, where Thor soon joined them on their walk. 

“Are you hungry?” Thor asked. 

“Not really,” Teddy replied.

“Come, sit with us, then.”

They had reached the diner, so she joined them in a booth. Thor picked up a menu, then ordered a half dozen items. Teddy’s eyes grew wide at the amount of food he wanted. 

“We’re gonna need a bigger table,” she whispered, after Loki ordered, although he kept his choices to three. 

Thor chuckled with a wink at her. Loki leaned back while putting his arm across her shoulders. 

“Why haven’t you ridden a horse since you were young, Theodora?” He asked, continuing their previous conversation. “Were you afraid?”

“A little,” she admitted, nervously studying her nails, which were ragged and uneven because of her habit of biting them. “I was afraid it might happen again, but also secretly hoping that it would, so that...I would have asked to stay on Asgard…”

Loki gently rubbed the back of her neck, while his eyes met Thor’s in consternation. 

“So, what have you been doing since you came to this city?” Thor asked. 

“A little bit of everything,” she replied. “Odd jobs, here and there. Lately, I’ve been studying in the library, learning how to fix computers.”

“And what about your family?” 

“I don’t see them anymore.” Her gaze dropped to her hands again. “They weren’t exactly supportive, after I told them what had happened.”

Their food arrived, and Teddy watched them. Thor was hungry and quickly dug into his food while Loki ate neatly. Teddy glanced around at the other patrons, who occasionally looked over at them. She realized that Thor had been recognized, as had Loki. 

While they ate, Teddy sipped her coffee and worried with her nails. She told herself that she really needed to stop biting them, after she’d nearly done so at the table. 

“Why did you come looking for me?” She asked. 

“Because you haven’t visited us in several weeks,” Loki chastised her. 

“I don’t want to be a bother, and I don’t belong there,” she responded. 

“You’re not a bother,” Thor told her firmly. “Nor would you ever be.”

“He feels sorry for me. I hate that more than anything.”

They didn’t need to be told who she meant. 

“Stark is a kind man, and he would never pity you,” Thor said. 

Teddy shrugged slightly without looking at him. She’d finished her coffee and toyed with the empty cup. The Asgardians were almost finished eating, and didn’t seem to be in a hurry to leave her company. 

In fact, once Thor finished his meal, he got coffee as well, along with a large slice of chocolate cake. Teddy wondered where he put it all while smiling to herself. Loki ordered a slice of apple pie with her recommendation, along with a small glass of cold milk. 

After they finished eating, they stayed to talk a while longer with her. Then they escorted her to her apartment building, leaving only after extracting a promise from her that she would visit them at least once a week. She reluctantly agreed before escaping to her apartment. 

— — —

Teddy kept her word to visit the Tower, but never stayed long, especially after meeting the rest of the Avengers. They all were kind and welcoming, but meeting them was still intimidating.

She didn’t want to get in the way, nor risk overhearing something that she had no business hearing. She also didn’t want to wear out her welcome, despite Thor and Loki’s assurances that she needn’t worry about that. 

— — — 

Two weeks passed without a visit from Teddy, which exasperated Loki. He seriously considered asking Stark to open up an empty apartment for her so that she would be close to him and Thor. She might fight them on it, but he felt the need to keep her close and safe. 

He walked alone to her apartment, since Thor had a prior commitment with the others. Loki climbed the steps to the second floor, then strode down the hallway to her apartment. 

When he saw that the door was wide open, he grew concerned. He stood in the doorway for a moment before realizing that someone was in her dwelling.

“Are you here to get her stuff?” The man asked. 

“I beg your pardon?”

“Her stuff.” 

Loki’s attention went to the boxes that were near the door, after the man pointed to them. Teddy’s belongings were so few that they all fit into three boxes. The computer parts were the only things that hadn’t been packed. 

“Where is she?”

“Don’t know,” was the terse reply. “Do you want that stuff or not?”

Loki briefly considered a violent response to the man’s tone, but decided against it, for now. 

“Yes, I’ll take it,” he said. “I’ll send someone for them shortly.”

“Don’t take too long, or they’ll go in the garbage.”

— — —

Loki hurried back to the Tower to ask Tony to send someone to collect Teddy’s belongings, then he left again to look for her. The owner of the diner said she’d not been to work that week at all. He had no idea where she could be, but did suggest the library a few blocks away. 

She wasn’t there, either, so Loki went back toward the diner. The city was too large to search, but he knew she would likely stay within her comfort zone. He wasn’t sure what could have possibly happened, but it was very obvious that she’d lost the apartment. 

That realization gave him a sudden thought. After another quick stop at the diner, Loki went to the alleyway where he’d seen her share food with a homeless man. The little cardboard hut was still there, so he approached it. The man there cautiously answered Loki’s questions about Teddy. 

He knew where she might be found, although there was no guarantee that she’d be there. Loki nodded and set down the food he’d bought before turning to continue his search in the alleyway that had been suggested to him. 

Loki was almost ready to give up when he heard a cough coming from behind a stack of wooden pallets. He investigated the sound and found her there, shivering in the cold. 

“Theodora?”

“No, go away…” she pushed his hands away when he reached out to touch her forehead. “I didn’t want you to see me like this…”

She coughed again and Loki realized that she was sick. He ignored her efforts to resist him when he scooped her up into his arms to carry her back to the Tower. 

“You are a stubborn little thing, you know?”

She laid her head against him without answering. She still shivered, so he used his magic to create a pocket of warmth around her that blocked the wind and cold. 

Thor and Tony both met him when he carried her into the lobby, then followed to the elevator, which stopped at the medical wing. Loki turned her over to the doctor for treatment, and watched from outside the room while explaining what he’d found when he went looking for her. 

Tony was agreeable to letting her have an apartment until she got back on her feet. There was an empty one on the top floor, and also one a couple of floors down, where other employees lived. 

Loki started to ask for the one closest to them, but then decided that Teddy would be more comfortable in the other apartment. Tony nodded and had Jarvis send someone to get it ready for her and take her belongings there. 

A commotion inside the room caught Loki’s attention: Teddy had gotten off the exam table, determined to leave. He went in quickly to intercept her when she’d gotten away from the doctor and nurse. He scooped her up and put her back onto the table. 

“You don’t understand!” She told him, near tears. “I can’t pay for this!”

“Do not concern yourself over that,” he told her, firmly. “Now, stay put.”

Teddy reluctantly laid back so that the doctor could continue his examination. She was given medicine for the fever and respiratory infection, and told to stay indoors until she was well. 

Once she was released, Loki carried her to the apartment that Tony had ready for her. By the time they reached it, Teddy had fallen asleep in Loki’s arms, so he carried her to the bed and got her settled. 

Clothes and sleepwear had been left for her, but Loki only removed her shoes before covering her up. She could change later when she woke. 

Loki sat quietly in the living room, reading, when Teddy came out of the bedroom several hours later. She carried her shoes in one hand, coat in the other, and moved silently so that she could slip out the door. 

“Don’t open that door,” Loki said, without turning to look at her. 

His voice startled her briefly but she ignored him. When she tried to open the door, it wouldn’t budge even though it wasn’t locked. That perplexed her, as she could see no reason why the thing wouldn’t open. 

“You are going back to bed,” Loki told her, after he finally got up to approach her. 

“Is this a hotel room?” She asked, looking around. 

“Apartment.”

“Whose?” She asked, warily. “And where?”

“Yours, for now,” he replied. “And in Avengers Tower.”

Teddy clearly wasn’t expecting that; her surprise lasted only a moment before anger kicked in. 

“I can take care of myself...I don’t need anyone’s help!”

A coughing fit took her, making her bend over in pain. Once she was able to catch her breath, she tried the door again. 

“Yes, I can see that,” he responded.

“I’m not...staying here…”

“Yes, you are, at least until you are well.”

With that, Loki guided her back to the bedroom, and unfolded a gown that had been given to her. 

“Get changed, then lay back down. You need rest. I’ll be back in ten minutes with your medicine.”

Teddy gave his back a disgruntled look before obeying. She went into the bathroom, then to bed, where Loki found her sitting up against the headboard with the covers pulled up over her. From her expression, he knew she wasn’t happy and might give him more trouble. 

He set a bottle of juice on the side table, then handed her several tablets. Once she’d taken them, he sat on the edge of the bed before cupping her chin to make her look at him. Her mulish expression softened when he did so, and she sighed. 

“Sorry,” she whispered. “And thank you.”

Loki gave a soft smile at the apology. “You’re welcome. Now, lay down and rest. In case you get any ideas of escaping us, Thor and I will be keeping watch over you.”

Her eyes opened wide in surprise at that. It was almost as if he could read her mind. Loki came close to laughing out loud at her reaction; she’d been busted and she knew it. 

“Fine,” she grouched, while sliding down further under the covers. Loki helpfully straightened them for her. 

“There will be food when you get hungry.”

Teddy nodded while making herself comfortable. Loki reached out to touch her head gently before leaving the room


	3. Chapter 3

For the next several days, Loki and Thor took turns sitting with her, with each insuring that she took the medication, rested and most importantly, didn’t escape. 

She’d tried it with Thor, but he stopped her; her clothes had then been confiscated, leaving her only with the gowns or pajamas that had been given to her. She hadn’t taken that well at all, but she knew that she couldn’t push either of them around, so she had to stay put. 

Finally, she recovered well enough to insist on getting her clothes back. Instead of her old ones, she found drawers full of new items; one contained nothing but new underwear, which caused some embarrassment, but she had no choice but to accept them. 

After showering and dressing, she went into the living area. The boxes with her personal items were stacked in a corner, out of the way, along with one that held the computer parts that she’d been working on. 

When Loki had gone through them in order to take any clothing out, he realized that she didn’t have much to her name. There were a few other items that could be replaced quickly; he didn’t see anything that would be considered sentimental, other than one photograph of the child he remembered on the black horse that had carried her to Asgard. 

“Don’t you have avenging stuff to do?” She asked, curiously. 

“Not at the moment,” he replied with a slight laugh. 

“Hmmm.” Teddy prowled around in the kitchen before coming to sit beside him on the sofa with a bowl of cereal. 

“Why didn’t you come to me or Thor for help?” He asked, after a few minutes of silence. 

“I came by twice, but the guard turned me away both times. The second time, he literally pushed me out of the building,” she replied. “I didn’t try again.”

Loki drew a deep, angry breath. “We didn’t know that. I’ll talk to Stark to make sure it doesn’t happen again, but you can stay here as long as needed.”

“I haven’t earned this.” Teddy shook her head. “I don’t want to be pitied, or a burden…”

“So, you’d rather sleep on the street, in the freezing weather?”

“I’ve done it before,” she replied softly, while staring into her cereal so that she could avoid looking at him.

“Well, never again,” he told her very firmly. “I will not allow it, nor will Thor. If that means putting you in an apartment between us, then so be it.”

Teddy started to protest, but the expression on his face stilled her tongue, at least until she got up to take her empty bowl to the kitchen. 

“I’m not a cur pup to pluck from the street and adopt,” she muttered, her back to Loki. 

“What was that?”

Loki’s voice right behind her caused her to jump and whirl to face him. She caught her breath when he gripped her hips, then lifted and plopped her onto a countertop so that she was eye level to him. She recognized his strength right away; it had hardly taken any effort to lift her. 

“Care to repeat that?” He asked. 

She thought about it, she really did, but decided against it, given the look on his face. She shook her head once before trying to slide off the counter, but he blocked her from doing so.

“If we have to adopt you, we will,” he told her, holding her gaze intently. “And then as your brothers, we can paddle your backside as needed.”

Teddy’s eyebrows shot up in consternation at that. The thought of getting paddled by two literal gods wasn’t very appealing, and she was quite sure that her backside would agree. She was also very confident that Loki would carry out his threat, although Thor might not.

“Will you need a paddling?” He then asked, very softly. 

“No,” she replied, just as softly. 

“Good.” 

Before he could lean away from her, Teddy’s arms slipped around his neck, and she laid her head on his shoulder. Loki ran his hands lightly down her back, then they both jumped when Thor’s voice startled them. 

“Take care, you two. Loki has a reputation to uphold.”

Thor winked at her while Loki cleared his throat and stepped back. Teddy gave a wry grin while she slid off the countertop. 

“He threatened to paddle me, so I think his reputation is safe,” she responded.

“Is that so? Why would he do that?” Thor asked, with a teasing grin. 

“You can tell him,” Teddy told Loki, while she circled around them both. 

“Stubbornness,” Loki said to Thor. 

“I see,” Thor chuckled. “I’ve come to retrieve you, Brother. Stark needs to see us both.”

Teddy perked up at that; now that she had clothes and shoes, there was a chance that she could slip out of the building. She’d have to leave her things behind, but there wasn’t much that couldn’t be replaced, although she’d hate losing the computer parts that she’d worked so hard to salvage.

“Before you start making grand escape plans, you’re coming with us,” Loki said, raising an eyebrow at her. 

“Dammit!” Teddy swore. “You _are_ a mind reader, aren’t you?”

— — —

“Teddy, you can wait here until we’re done,” Tony told her, showing her into a small lab that had computers and parts strewn around on a large table. “I understand that you’re learning about computers? Feel free to practice on these, if you want.”

“Thank you, Mr. Stark,” she replied. 

“Tony,” he corrected her. “I’m not sure how long we’ll be, so there’s coffee and snacks in the room across the hall. Help yourself.”

Teddy nodded absently while her eyes scanned over the table. She then recognized the box that belonged to her. 

“I had it brought down so that you wouldn’t get bored,” Loki said. “We’re just in the next room.”

The lab and conference room were adjacent to each other, separated by glass walls that could be changed to clear or opaque, or even one-way, depending on the need. 

Tony had them set so that they could watch her from the conference room, but where she couldn’t see them so that she wouldn’t be so self conscious. Thor and Loki wanted to keep an eye on her, although it was unlikely that she could sneak out of the building without Jarvis alerting them. 

Once she was alone, Teddy emptied her box and spread the contents out on a clear space of the table. After sorting them out, she opened the leather pouch that held her tools, then went to work. 

“Jarvis, help her out if she needs it, offer to play music for her,” Tony instructed quietly. 

“Of course, sir,” the AI responded. 

— — —

Teddy worked quietly, humming to herself. The laptop computer was almost ready to test, and she would keep it for herself once it worked properly. 

“If I might make a suggestion?”

The disembodied voice startled her, causing her to jab her finger with the tiny screwdriver she held. She quickly grabbed a paper towel to blot at the blood welling up from the small puncture. 

“I apologize for startling you, Theodora,” the voice continued. “Mr. Stark asked me to keep you company.”

“And who are you?” She asked, looking around. 

“I’m Jarvis, and I assist Mr. Stark.”

“Oh. Are you a computer?”

“In a manner of speaking,” Jarvis replied. 

“It’s nice to meet you, Jarvis.” Teddy’s attention moved back to her task. 

“The pleasure is mine,” Jarvis replied, before activating a hologram of her computer along with various parts. 

“What’s all this?” Teddy was suitably impressed with the hologram. 

Jarvis explained what he was showing her and how she could configure the laptop for optimum performance. Teddy continued to work, using his suggestions. After about an hour, she stopped and went to the break room across the hall. 

She took her honey bun and soda into the lab, eager to finish the laptop with Jarvis. 

“How did you get up here??” 

Teddy hadn’t noticed that the guard who’d turned her away from the Tower a few weeks ago had followed her, having seen her during his rounds. He grabbed her arm and roughly turned her to face him, which caused her to drop her food. Then she shielded her head and face with both arms. 

— —

_“He’s dead!”_

Loki’s furious roar interrupted the meeting, startling everyone in the room. He’d seen the guard put his hand on Teddy, and as fate would have it, the guard had been the one who’d failed to realize when she had followed them. 

Loki didn’t have much use for the man, and now he was incensed that the idiot had accosted her, and the sight of her protecting her head made him see red. 

Thor jumped to his feet when Loki did so that he could try to diffuse the situation. Once Tony and the others realized what was happening, Tony left the room quickly while Thor kept Loki from following.

— — — 

“Leave her alone.”

Tony strode into the room and pulled Teddy away from the guard. She backed away while rubbing her arm. 

“Sir, I’m not sure how she got up here —“

“I brought her here, and she has access to the building,” Tony replied. “You can finish your rounds. Don’t bother her again.”

“Yes, sir.” The guard gave Teddy a glance before leaving. 

“Are you alright?” He asked. 

“Yes, thank you, Mr. Stark - uh, Tony,” she replied, shakily. “I spilled my drink, though, but I’ll clean it up if you’ll point me to cleaning supplies.”

“I have people for that,” he told her, with a smile. “Jarvis?”

“I’ve already alerted maintenance, sir.”

“Thanks, buddy. How are you coming along with your computer?”

“Almost done, I think,” Teddy responded. 

“Good. We shouldn’t be much longer. Go grab another snack and drink.”

Before Tony entered the conference room, he paused to speak to Jarvis. 

“Send out a memo with her picture to the building, with the warning to treat her nicely, or Loki and Thor will rip them a new one.”

“Colorful as always, sir. Although it would be easier to give her an ID.”

— — —

After the meeting ended, Loki and Thor escorted Teddy to the top floor for lunch with the others. She didn’t want to go, but had no choice when they flanked her and put her into a chair between them. 

Teddy gave Steve Rogers and his friend Bucky Barnes, who sat across from her, a little wave. The soldiers both smiled at her, hoping to help ease her tension. 

“Did you get the computer fixed?” Tony asked while the food was passed around. 

“A-Almost,” she replied. “The screen is still wonky.”

“A technical term if I ever heard one.” He grinned at her, and she couldn’t help but smile back. “Probably needs replacing or the ribbon is crimped.”

“I think so, too.”

Once the meal was over, Teddy was grateful to escape to her borrowed apartment. She knew that the others meant well when they tried to include her in the conversations, but she still felt overwhelmed at the attention. 

Loki watched while she paced in front of the large window; she’d started to chew on her nails several times, but stopped when she became aware of what she was doing. He wasn’t sure what had made her anxious, although he had an idea. 

“What’s wrong?” He asked. 

Teddy shook her head while she continued to pace. “It’s been a long time since I’ve had so many people interested in me. Attention isn’t always a good thing.”

“I can understand that,” he commented, moving closer to her. 

He’d observed her silently; her behavior did somewhat remind him of a feral animal, one that didn’t like to be confined or crowded. She’d been on her own for so long, with no one to really care what happened to her, and had learned to rely only on herself. 

“When are you going to unpack your things?” 

Teddy glanced at him briefly before answering. “There’s not much there that means anything to me. I’ve learned to limit items so that they can be carried easily or replaced. No valuables makes it less likely that you’ll be robbed. I learned that the hard way.”

Loki walked over behind her while she stared out over the city. He put his hands on her shoulders; when she leaned back against him, he felt that surge of protectiveness rise in him again. 

“It’s hard to get comfortable in a place that’s warm and safe: it’s rarely worked out for me, so I don’t get too complacent.”

“Theodora,” he said softly. “It doesn’t always need to be that way. You’re safe here…”

“For how long?” She asked quietly. “You and Thor won’t be here forever, will you? What happens then? I‘m unemployed, I’ve lost my apartment, everything I own is in those boxes.”

Loki squeezed her gently. He understood her turmoil; while he hadn’t exactly been homeless, he’d been away from Asgard for so long that he’d almost forgotten what it was like to have a home to go to. 

After a few minutes of silence, Teddy turned so that she could slip her arms around him. They stood that way for several more minutes before she pulled back. 

“I’d like to lie down for a while, I’m tired.”

— — — 

Several days later, Teddy dressed in several layers of clothes so that she wouldn’t be seen with a bag of any type. Jarvis quickly alerted Thor, Loki and Tony, who then split up to cover stair wells and other exits. 

She made it down to the lobby before Thor captured her, slung her over his shoulder and carried her to the elevator. It was a long drop to the floor, so she didn’t struggle, even though Thor wouldn’t have let her fall. 

During the whole trip back to her floor, Teddy prepared herself to face Loki and his threat of a paddling. Thor hadn’t put her down, so she fumed while he strode toward her apartment. 

Once there, Thor set her down and pushed her further into the room while he closed the door. He then confiscated her coat before hanging it up. 

Loki watched, with his arms crossed and his expression stoic. Teddy figured she’d better just prepare herself to suffer the consequences of her escape attempt. 

“Well?” Loki asked. 

Teddy lifted her chin in defiance. “I got bored.”

“I see.” The fingers of one hand drummed impatiently against his arm. “Where did you intend to go?”

“Nowhere in particular.”

Loki nodded slightly. “Why are you walking like a duck?”

“What??” The question caught her off guard while Thor merely chuckled. 

“You’re waddling.”

“Oh. It might be that I'm wearing three pairs of pants -“

“Excuse me?”

“And four shirts, and two pairs of socks.”

Loki barely contained his surprise at that, and really wanted to laugh. He pinched the bridge of his nose with a sigh. Thor had no problem laughing at her response. 

“Is it necessary for us to leave you with only night wear again?”

“No,” Teddy replied. “I’ll behave, just don’t paddle me.”

So, Loki had her go into her bedroom and remove the extra clothes while he and Thor talked. When Teddy returned, Loki was gone and Thor was channel surfing. 

She went to the kitchen, then brought a bowl of grapes with her when she sat down beside him. 

“Still bored,” she muttered. “Loki might be alright just sitting and reading all day, but I want to get out. Don’t you usually spend some time training?”

“Yes,” he replied, while reaching for some grapes. 

“So, can I train? Or do _something_?”

“What about your computer? Have you finished repairing it?”

“I’ve gone as far as I can without a new screen, and I don’t have money to get one,” she responded. “I need a job.”

“Loki may have a solution to that,” Thor replied, while he continued to flip through channels. 

“What?” She asked, warily. 

“You'll see.”


	4. Chapter 4

It was almost a week before Teddy found out what Loki had been up to. They had left her alone in her apartment, and Loki had warned her about leaving it. Jarvis would alert them immediately, and then there would be dire consequences. She knew what that meant, so promised that she wouldn’t try to leave. 

Later, when someone knocked at her door, she opened it, expecting one of them to be there. Instead, a young woman was there, who introduced herself as Cara, a stylist for the Starks.

Cara explained that she’d been sent to bring Teddy to Tony’s wife, Pepper. Teddy was silent for several minutes; she didn’t let the woman in to the apartment, but stood still while trying to decide whether this was some sort of test. She really had no desire to push Loki. 

“Theodora,” Jarvis spoke up. “Loki has advised that you can go with Cara.”

Teddy reluctantly let the other woman in while she put shoes on. After that, she was taken to where Pepper waited in a private salon. The sight of the salon, along with racks of clothing, made her slightly nauseous. 

“Hi, Theodora, I’m Pepper.”

Teddy nodded. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. You can call me Teddy, if you like.”

“Teddy, then,” Pepper replied, with a smile. “You seem nervous.”

“I - I’m not used to so many people fussing over me. Please, tell me what this is about.”

“They didn’t tell you?” Pepper asked in surprise. 

“No.”

“I understand that you have a job interview, and they wanted you to look your best.”

Teddy hadn’t put in any applications since the day that Loki had found her in the alley, so she suspected that he and his brother had devised a way to keep her in the tower _and_ to keep her busy. 

She started to just leave, but reconsidered. There was no guarantee that she’d get any job, but it wouldn’t hurt to at least have her hair attended to, although a manicure and pedicure would be divine. 

When she acquiesced, Pepper gently took her hand and led her over to the hair stylist, then left her, after telling her that she’d be back later to check on how things were going. 

Over the next three hours, Teddy was pampered with a haircut, mani-pedi, and then a massage that left her dozing under a warm blanket, with soft music playing. 

Afterwards, she was given a warm robe to wear while a pair of stylists pulled several selections of the clothing and put them on a separate rack. Teddy tried on the clothes that they suggested, along with shoes. She drew the line at high heels, since she didn’t find them comfortable, and wouldn’t wear them. 

Pepper returned before Teddy had changed out of the last outfit she’d been given. She declared it a perfect choice, then led Teddy to the elevator in order to escort her to HR for the interview. 

“It’s _today_?” Teddy’s anxiety ramped up a notch. “And with Stark Industries??”

“I see that they didn’t tell you that, either.” Pepper replied, with a sigh. 

“I put in an application here several years ago, why would I have an interview now…..Loki!”

Pepper laughed softly. “As well as Thor, and Tony, too.”

Teddy sighed and looked down until the elevator doors opened. She followed Pepper into a large office. The desk chair was turned with its back facing them, so that it hid the occupant. 

The chair turned after Pepper loudly cleared her throat, and Teddy wasn’t shocked to see Tony sitting at the desk. 

“Is this her?” He asked, looking over his glasses. “You’re hired. When can you start?”

Teddy gaped at him, unable to speak for a couple of minutes. Finally, she got her wits about her. 

“I suppose I should know what I’ve been hired for,” she said. “Is it housekeeping or the mailroom?”

“Actually, you’ll be working in one of the computer labs,” Tony replied. “Take your laptop with you and finish repairing it. You may use any part that you need. Here’s your badge and directions to the lab that you’re assigned to. The manager there is a good teacher and will help you learn anything that you need to know.”

“I don’t know what to say,” Teddy whispered. “Thank you, both of you.”

— — —

Several weeks passed while Teddy settled in to her job. At first, she thought that she’d only been hired so that Loki and Thor could keep an eye on her, but as she learned more about computers and repairing them, she realized that it was a legit job, especially when she was trusted to help with SHIELD technologies. 

When her first paycheck was deposited into her account, she stared at her new balance in shock. It was more than what she had made in a month at her part time jobs. 

The balance was reduced by the amount for the rent for her apartment, but she still had more than enough for clothes or if she just wanted to splurge. As time went on, she would buy a little something for the apartment but remained reluctant to fill it up with items. 

After work, she returned to her apartment alone. Loki and Thor were currently on a mission with the others and weren’t expected to return for another week at least. She cooked a small meal for herself then sat on her sofa where she could look out over the city. 

She’d finished repairing her laptop and now browsed the internet to window shop. Even though she could buy a new one, she felt she’d put too much effort in it to just discard it, and with Jarvis’s help, the computer worked great. 

While she browsed, an email came in that had several photos in it. She didn’t know who’d sent them, but she stared at the photos before deleting it. Then she started doing google searches. What she found caused her to turn off the computer and put it away. 

— — —

When Loki and the others returned from the mission, the first thing he did was check on Teddy. Since it was during the workday, he went to the lab to see her. 

He knew immediately that something was off: she was quiet and withdrawn from him, and wouldn’t meet his eyes. He also knew that she was lying when she said that nothing was wrong. He decided to let it go for the moment, since he did have a debriefing with the others. 

Teddy nodded when he told her that he’d see her after work before they joined the others for the evening meal. Loki took one last glance at her before he left. 

— — —

Loki arrived at almost the exact moment when Teddy returned to her apartment after work. She quietly opened the door to let him in, then went to the bedroom to change while he waited on the sofa. 

“Now, tell me what’s wrong,” he said, reaching up to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. “In case you’re not aware, I will know if you lie to me.”

Teddy reached for her computer and showed him the pictures and videos that she’d found, stemming from the anonymous email she’d first received. The media was a combination of still shots and short videos of the Chitauri attack on the city years back. 

She’d known about the invasion, but didn’t know that Loki had led it until later, but still was unsure whether the Loki she’d met as a child was the same person. 

He gave the images a brief glance before taking the computer and putting it aside. 

“That was you?” She asked.

“Yes.” There was no point in denying it. 

“A lot of people died.”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

So, he explained what had happened; that he had wanted a kingdom, was promised one in exchange for retrieving an Infinity stone, but had not bargained for being controlled by a second stone that was in the scepter he’d been given. 

While he was determined to win his kingdom, he had not intended on so much bloodshed or destruction but could not escape the control of the Mind Stone. Once the battle was over, he’d been taken back to Asgard, where his life was spared on the condition that he make reparations by working with Thor and the Avengers to stop any similar threats. 

Teddy listened without interrupting although he could tell that she was still upset, but not fearful of him. 

“And now, do you still want a kingdom?”

“A prince will almost always want to be king,” he replied. “But I am content where I am, at the moment.”

“I’ve been told that you don’t care for humans…” Teddy paused to search her memory for the term she’d heard. “Midgardians?”

“That is true, in most cases,” he responded. “There are always exceptions, hmmm?”

“I suppose,” she said, turning her head to look out the window. 

“Theodora.” Loki got her attention by taking her hand gently. “You need not be afraid of me, ever. Alright?”

“I’m not afraid,” she whispered. “I’ve loved you since the day you found me on Asgard. The twelve-year-old me loved a handsome prince who helped her. A child wouldn’t know much past a fairy tale. We all do things that we’re not particularly proud of, even if they’re necessary.”

“Agreed,” he replied, wondering if she also spoke for herself. 

Teddy squeezed his hand before leaning against him. They sat that way for a while before he spoke again. 

“Want to go eat with the others?”

“Could we stay here? I have groceries, and will cook.”

“I’d like that.”

— — —

With the approach of spring, Teddy slowly became more comfortable in her position and in her apartment, and was no longer fearful that she could lose everything overnight. She worked hard on enhancing her computer skills; it came to a point where she would rarely leave the building on her own. 

Finally, Loki appeared at her door just as she was about to head to the lab. He steered her back into the apartment and told her to change into jeans, boots and a warm shirt. He ignored her protests that she had to work, and waited until she’d done as he asked. 

Once he had her on the sidewalk, he ushered her to a car that was waiting for them. Teddy was miffed that he wouldn’t tell her where they were headed, and his assurances that she would like the surprise didn’t help all that much. 

After they had arrived at their destination, Teddy stared for a long time until Loki urged her forward. Her hand trembled in his as she meekly followed him to the stables that he’d brought her to. 

The familiar sounds and smells of horses brought back memories of her childhood; most of the memories were good ones, at least up until the time of her ride across the cosmos. 

“Loki…”

“Come along. You needed to get out of the building, seeing as you haven’t left it for months now,” he told her. “Stark insisted that I pry you out.”

When they walked into the large stable, there were two horses already saddled and one of the grooms waited beside them. Teddy patted one of the animals after she’d been handed the reins, then she followed Loki with his horse when he led them outside the building. 

Loki boosted her into the saddle before mounting his horse, then they started down the trail. The further they rode, the more her memories threatened to break free. The happy ones were overshadowed by the ones after she’d returned from Asgard.

Finally, she urged her horse past Loki before having it gallop away. Loki called her name as he followed, but she didn’t slow down. When she reached a clearing, she did finally stop before sliding to the ground. 

Loki reined his horse to a stop, then dismounted to approach her. When he touched her shoulder, she turned to slip her arms around him while she cried out the hurt and disappointment that her childhood memories evoked. 

He held her until she stopped crying and didn’t release her when she tried to step away but gently wiped her tears away. Then he tilted her face up so that he could kiss her. 

Teddy’s hands found his wrists as she tiptoed to meet him. When he finally broke the kiss off, Teddy made a soft sound in disappointment. Loki kissed her forehead before embracing her again. 

“Ready to finish the ride?” He then asked softly. 

She nodded then let him go to turn back to her horse. 

— — —

When they returned to the Tower, Teddy held onto Loki’s arm when they exited the car. Before they reached the elevator, they encountered a group of Stark guards that was headed for the security desk. 

Teddy let go of Loki long enough to move to his other side, away from them. Loki glanced over the group before putting his hand over hers. She’d seen the guard that had accosted her in the computer lab and wanted a buffer between her and him. 

“He won’t dare to bother you,” Loki told her once they were on the elevator. 

“I’d rather stay away from him,” she murmured. 

After they were in the apartment, Teddy kicked off her boots before going to the refrigerator for two bottles of water. 

“Thank you for today,” she told him, after handing him one. 

“Of course,” he replied, pulling her down onto the sofa with him. “We’ll go again soon. I quite enjoyed it.”

“Me, too, even though I cried all over you.” Teddy dropped her gaze to the water bottle in her hand. “I didn’t realize how much I’d suppressed.”

Loki reached over and slid his fingers through her hair, and Teddy leaned into his touch. When she put her water bottle aside and got up, he gave her a questioning look. 

“Wait here, I’d like to show you something.”

He waited until she returned from her bedroom; she’d changed into a silky gown that barely came to her knees. Loki watched while she looked through her phone before starting some soft music. 

“What’s this?”

“I know that you may not care for much of our music, but just watch.”

Then she began to dance. 

Over the course of his life, Loki had seen many types of dances, most of which never held his attention. While it was true that he didn’t particularly care for Midgardian music, he barely heard what was playing as he watched her. 

The sun was just starting to set, and the softening light illuminated the highlights in her hair and gave an almost imperceptible glow to her skin. Loki could barely breathe while he watched her hips sway gently. Her eyes were dark and sultry, and her hair moved with her. 

When he reached for her, she avoided his touch without seeming to. Then he stood up, meaning to get his hands on her. Teddy gently pushed his hands away, although she did touch him ever so softly that he barely felt it. His bare wrists, forearms, the backs of his shoulders, then ribs; all received brief attention. 

Finally, she allowed him to put his arms around her. Loki caught her hard against him while one large hand went to her throat in order to make her look up at him and also to hold her still while he kissed her. 

Teddy melted in his embrace as Loki struggled for control. She then clung to his shoulders when he lifted her in order to lay her down on the couch. His weight pinned her beneath him while his mouth returned to hers, and his hand reached back to stroke her thigh, causing her to gasp slightly. 

“If you harbor second thoughts, you should stop me now,” Loki told her, his own green eyes dark with desire. 

Teddy shook her head slightly and cupped his cheek. 

“I love you.”

— — —

Later that night, Teddy woke to find herself sandwiched between Loki and the back of the sofa. It took her a moment to realize why she wasn’t in bed as she looked into his sleeping face. 

When she kissed his cheek and snuggled closer to him, he stirred enough to adjust her position so that they’d both be more comfortable. Her thumb caressed his jaw as she buried her face against his neck. 

“You’re warm, be still,” he sighed. 

“Mmhmm,” she responded. “I’m glad that you didn’t adopt me.”

“Me, too,” he replied, sleepily. “Because I am quite certain that Thor would never allow me to date his sister.”

Teddy burst into laughter, her face still against his neck. It was several minutes before she stopped, but when she raised her head so that she could look at him, she laughed again. 

“You made a joke, and it was funny! _Funny.”_

Loki couldn’t help but smile as he snagged the blanket from the back of the sofa in order to spread it over her. His little Midgardian sighed contentedly after putting her head back into the curve of his neck. 

Together, they slept peacefully, sharing a couch, a blanket, and body heat. It had been some time since either of them had felt at peace, and now they had each other. 


End file.
